Irish weather rarely stays still. The right clothing and footwear keep you comfortable from the first drive to the last, whether you are in tweed on the moor or waterproofs on a winter walk-up.
Dress for the day you will actually have
The forecast on a phone and the weather on a hill in County Antrim are not always the same thing. Layering still beats a single heavy coat. A breathable base, a warm mid-layer you can take off at elevenses, and a waterproof that is quiet enough to shoot in will cover more days than a fashionable jacket that soaks through. Country clothing is kit. If it rustles, leaks or rubs, it will cost you birds and concentration.
McCloys stocks country clothing from brands including Schöffel and Laksen, alongside practical field trousers, gilets and coats that earn their keep on Irish ground. Come in to Toomebridge to try a fit. Online size charts are a start; a coat you can mount a gun in is the test.
On the peg and on the walk
Driven days ask for a smart, weatherproof outer that still lets you mount. Tweeds and shooting coats exist because they work: they hide dirt, turn a shower and do not look out of place in a line. For walked-up days and rough shooting, weight and noise matter more. A lighter waterproof, robust trousers and freedom in the shoulders will serve you better than a long heavy coat.
Colour and silhouette are part of fieldcraft when you are stalking or pigeon shooting. You do not need to disappear; you need not to flash. For formal game days, follow the host’s lead. For the rest, choose clothing that is quiet, comfortable and suited to briars, ditches and the back of a pickup.
A sensible field wardrobe
- Waterproof coat you can shoot in, with pockets that work with a cartridge belt or bag.
- Trousers that turn a shower and do not bag at the knee after an hour.
- A mid-layer for the wait, not just the walk.
- Hat and gloves you will actually wear when the wind gets up.
- Boots that are broken in before the first proper day.
Footwear decides the day
Blisters end more days than empty barrels. Footwear needs grip, waterproofing and a fit with the socks you will wear in the field — not the thin pair you tried in the shop. Leather boots still have a place for long seasons if you look after them; modern fabrics dry faster and often weigh less. Neither is “better”. The better boot is the one that keeps you upright in mud and peat and still lets you walk twenty minutes to the next drive.
Gaiters help when the cover is wet and the grass is long. Spare socks in the car are not glamorous and they are the most useful extra you can carry. Dry feet change your mood, your safety on slopes, and how well you shoot after lunch.
Accessories that are not optional
Hearing protection, decent gloves and a cap with a brim are not extras. Clay grounds should not need to remind anyone about ears and eyes; the field is no different when you are next to other Guns. Our clothing accessories and shooting kit cover the small items that make a wet day tolerable: belts, socks, hats and the bits that always get lost by November.
Cartridge bags, slips and a coat with a proper game pocket sit in the same conversation. Buy once, look after the leather or fabric, and you will not be borrowing a soaked bag from the person next to you. If you shoot a few days a year, you do not need every piece of branded kit. You do need dry feet, a coat that works in the wind, and clothes you can mount a gun in.
Try it on, then go out in it
The only real test is a day outside. We can help you build a set of layers for the shooting you do — clays in a west wind, a formal driven day, or a wet stalk. Visit McCloys in Toomebridge, call +44 (0) 28 7965 0641, or email info@mccloys.com. Shop online if you know your sizes; come in if you do not. Irish weather will not wait for the right jacket to arrive on the morning of the shoot.